Authors: Teresa Greene
Chapter Seventeen
It was difficult to wait for Tom to open the door. The man moved so slow
ly Abby wanted to open it for him. She stood in the foyer waiting anxiously for her guests to be invited in. By her side Cord stood holding Daniel. The moment the door opened, Abby ran into Nick’s arms. “I have missed you.”
Lifting Abby off her feet, Nick swung her around. “I’ve missed you too, Sissy.”
It was too late for Abby to greet Meredith. The second she saw Daniel everyone else was forgotten. A flash of light blue silk dashed across the floor and made a bee line for her only nephew.
“Hello, Abby. Thank you for feeding us on such short notice. I hope you don’t mind.” Adam bent and kissed Abby on the cheek.
“Not at all, I’m thrilled to have you.” She didn’t want to hurt Adam’s feelings so she didn’t tell him Nick was the reason she was excited. At least she would be able to spend some time with him before he returned home.
“Hello, Meredith. I love your dress.”
“Thank you, Abby. You look lovely too.” Abby laughed. Meredith had not even looked at her. For all her sister-in-law knew she could be wearing a feed sack.
Nick took Daniel out of Meredith’s arms. “Let me hold him, Meredith. Did you not learn to share when you were a child?”
Pouting prettily, Meredith replied, “You are the one that does not seem to know how to share. Every time I touch him you take him away from me.”
“Let’s go into the parlor. Supper will be served in thirty minutes.”
Abby invited.
Cord replied,
“I need to see Adam in my study, Abby. We have some business to discuss. Ya’ll go ahead and we’ll be on directly.”
The hairs on the back of her neck rose. From the look on Cord’s face, he was worried about something.
****
Cord poured two brandies and sat down on the sofa across from Adam. Puzzled, Cord wondered why his brother invited himself to supper. Maybe the hired gun he paid to find Bart Langley had some success. He hoped so. Waiting until Adam took a sip of his brandy, Cord asked, “Is something wrong?”
Adam looked serious. “You know I wouldn’t show up on your first day home without good reason.” He nervously tapped his leg. “Bart Langley is in Raleigh.”
His voice taking on an edge Cord asked, “Are you sure?”
Obviously worried, Adam shifted in his chair. “Matthew Dunbar swears he saw him in a saloon last night on the outskirts of Baker Street. He said he has lost weight, is wearing his hair longer, and sporting a beard, but he was positive it was him. The eyes gave him away, one green and one brown. Nature does not make that mistake often.”
Cord stood and began to pace. “Why in the hell would Bart show his face in Raleigh
knowing he is a wanted man? A man’s own brother would turn him in for $10,000.”
“That I can’t answer. You said you tracked him to Mexico.”
Cord propped against the oak desk and faced Adam. “Yes, I tracked down his four accomplices and killed them. He gave me the slip every time I had him in my sights. I had him pinned down in the desert, and believed there was no way he would get away. Hell, he shot my horse right out from under me and I had to walk for two days before I found water and food.”
As memories of that terrible day resurfaced, Cord was thankful Pep
per had thrown a shoe and he had been on a different mount. Pepper had been his father’s horse and meant a great deal to him. He shivered thinking how close he had come to dying at the hands of Bart Langley, not once but twice. Abby saved him the first time; the second time it was an old goat farmer. By the time the man found him lying in the desert sun, there were buzzards already circling overhead. It was weeks before he regained his strength.
“I know I should have stayed and picked up his trail again. I should have finished him off, but I was tired. All I could think about was returning home and marrying Abby and spending Christmas with her. For nine long months I searched. My heart just wasn’t up to it anymore. I’m surprised Tad Galor had no luck finding him. He is reputed to be the best bounty hunter and tracker in the area.”
“When did you last get a telegraph from Tad?”
Cord ran his fingers through his hair. “About two weeks ago.”
There was a strained silence between the two brothers. “I’m beginning to believe we underestimated Langley. If Langley is in Raleigh, then more than likely Tad is dead. You are the best I have ever seen with a gun. If he got the drop on you twice, then the man is a mighty force.” Adam poured himself another glass of brandy, and gulped it down in one swallow. “I’m going into Raleigh tonight, hit the saloons, and see if I can find him.”
“No, Adam. We drew straws and I pulled the shorter straw. It is my responsibility to eliminate Langley. I should not have left Mexico until he was dead. Now someone else will probably die because I
didn’t complete my duty to this family.” Cord thought of Abby and Daniel. He worried Langley may be in town to harm them. It would be his fault if something happened to his wife and son.
“But now you have a family. What happens to them if you don’t survive? I’m the eldest and unmarried. Now it should be up to me to avenge our parents’ death.”
“Wait until tomorrow night. We’ll both go search him out.” Tired of all the turmoil Langley had caused, Cord knew he would not stop this time until the man was dead.
“Let’s go eat. Abby fried chicken. I promise it is the best you ever tasted.”
****
Adam pushed away from the table and rubbed his stomach. “Abby that was the best fried chicken I have had in my life. Cord said you were a good cook.”
“Thank you, Adam.”
“Abby, can I hold Daniel?”
She looked at Daniel lying in the basket by the table playing with his feet. She demanded Nick and Meredith put him down while they ate. “The McDonalds spoiled him terribly, Meredith. He is so accustomed to someone carrying him around, now he expects me to do the same.”
“It won’t hurt him, Abby.” Meredith dropped to the floor beside Daniel. Fat arms and legs began to flail. Then he began to coo loudly. “Look at him. He is begging me to pick him up.”
“Oh, go ahead.” Meredith’s face lit up as she lifted Daniel into her arms and planted a kiss on his fat cheek. As usual Daniel grabbed two handfuls of hair and pulled.
Cord laughed as he tried to open Daniel’s hand to rescue Meredith. “You need to pin your hair back when you visit, Meredith. He grabs everything in reach.”
“I have a surprise for you in the stable, Abby. Would you like to go see what it is?” Cord held his arm out for Abby. Obviously everyone thought he meant for them to go also, because Nick, Adam, and Meredith trudged along. Abby felt he intended for them all to stay behind.
Abby screamed with delight when Cord opened the door to the stables and she saw Sugar in one of the stalls. She threw her arms around Sugar’s neck and was rewarded with a warm nuzzle. Daniel began to jump and bounce in Nick’s arms when he saw Sugar. He tapped Sugar’s head with his chunky hand and giggled.
“She has been at Adam’s. Your saddle is in the tack room. How about we go for a ride in the morning and I’ll show you around?”
Abby’s eyes sparkled merrily as she stroked Sugar’s nose. “Thank you, Cord.” It would be wonderful to have a pleasant ride with her husband on their land. Her circumstances had certainly taken a turn for the better.
“I don’t know if the rest of you have room for a piece of apple pie, but I do. Abby bakes the best apple pie in the world.” Cord opened the stable door. “Let’s go have dessert.”
Meredith wrapped her hand around Nick’s arm. “Ya’ll go on
without us. I want to show Nick Thunder.”
Nick yelled as they disappeared through the door, “Save me a piece! That is what I miss most is Abby’s apple pie!”
****
Half way to the house, Adam asked, “Do you think we should leave those two alone? They have been spending a lot of time together. They leave the house every morning for a ride and do not return for hours.”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Adam. Can you imagine our Meredith living on a farm, cooking, canning, and cleaning?” Both burst out laughing. “I can just see Meredith sitting on a stool milking Lou.” Cord laughed so hard he wiped at a tear. “She wouldn’t even know where the teats on a cow were.”
Abby slapped at Cord’s arm and scolded, “You two should be ashamed. Nick would never do anything to harm Meredith’s reputation. Her virtue is safe with him.”
Adam sobered and said, “It is Nick’s virtue we are worried about, not Meredith’s.”
Shocked Abby said, “She acts like a proper lady in my presence.”
Adam stated, “I can’t believe the McDonalds didn’t convey all the gossip surrounding Meredith. Do you mean to tell me not one of them mentioned our little sister’s exploits?”
Keeping her eyes adverted she answered, “I heard a little something about a stable boy, but I do not put much faith in gossip.” She didn’t want them to know Jeremy had said such awful things about Meredith.
“Abby, you are too sweet and naive. Meredith has been engaged to three different men with fine qualities. Every time she has done something outrageous to cause them to break the engagement each time. The last engagement, her fiancé, Timothy Logan, caught her kissing his stable boy. Not for one minute do I think Meredith was dallying with Logan’s stable boy. I think she was willing to do anything to stop the marriage. The scandal has done irreparable damage and I fear we will not find another good match for her. The odd thing is she seems not to care. I was beginning to believe she had an aversion to men. The first few days Nick was at our home they fought like cats and dogs. Meredith has a sharp tongue, but it seems Nick is able to tame her. Now they get along famously.”
Abby thought how wonderful it would be if Nick were in love. It was probably wishful thinking on her part. Nick would never leave his farm in Tarboro, and she could not imagine Meredith giving up the comfort of her plantation.
****
Even though Nick tried to act like nothing was out of the ordinary, Abby could tell the moment he walked into the parlor he was upset. Thirty minutes later Meredith returned to the house and announced to Adam she wanted to go home. Her eyes still swollen, she had been crying.
Abby pointed out, “Maybe you should stay here tonight, Adam. It is late and we have to get up early to get Nick to the train station in time to catch the train to Tarboro in the morning.”
Adam glanced at Cord only to see him shake his head no. “We would not dream of intruding, Abby. We should go home.”
“I insist. It will give me more time to spend with Nick.” Abby wrapped her arm lovingly around Nick’s. “Please, Adam.”
In a stern voice Meredith replied, “You and I can go home, Adam, and leave Nick here.”
“It is late and I want all three of you to stay.” Because she wanted to spend more time with Nick, she poured on the charm smiling sweetly at her brother-in-law.
Adam gave a pointed stare at Cord. “Only if you’re sure it will not be an inconvenience.” Cord angrily rolled his eyes.
Meredith opened her mouth to say she wanted to go home, but Abby cut her off before she could argue further. “Come Meredith, I’ll show you to your room while the men have a nightcap.”
The moment Abby shut the door, she sat on the edge of the bed and asked, “What happened between you and Nick?”
Arms folded across her chest, Meredith glared at Abby. “Because he is your brother, I would rather not discuss it with you.”
Abby persisted. “Are you in love with Nick?”
Irritated, Meredith snapped, “I don’t feel comfortable discussing my feelings for your brother.”
Determined to find out what happened between Meredith and Nick, Abby would not relent. “Maybe I can help.”
Meredith plopped down on the bed and faced her. “Why would you want to help? You probably feel just like Nick does. I asked him to take me with him when he leaves but he doesn’t think I can handle the work or the solitude of his farm. He called me a spoiled rich girl. He is right, I am. I can’t believe I had the audacity to ask him to marry me. Three times I have been engaged to wealthy plantation owners and not one of them made me happy. Now I fall for a man that does not want me.”
Taking Meredith’s hand, Abby smiled and replied, “Do you love him?”
Meredith took a moment to ponder the question. “Yes, I love him.”
“If you love him, none of that will matter. You must make him see that.”
Meredith let out a deep sigh. “I have tried. I don’t know what else to do.”
“I’m sorry, Meredith. You don’t seem the type to give up that easy. You are beautiful, and have a passion for life. You have to make him see that his life will be miserable without you.”
Too embarrassed to look at Abby, Meredith lowered her head and stared at her hands. “If you are suggesting I seduce him, I have already tried that. He refuses to comply. He is adamant I would not be happy on his small farm because I am so spoiled.”
Abby remembered how she seduced Cord. If she had not been the one to take the first step, she wondered if they would now be together. He did try to fight the lust he felt for her.